


It's All There

by superscavenger



Category: Ghostbusters (2016)
Genre: Cute, F/F, This just came to me and it's, a lil suspense, lots o' fluff, lots of happiness, okay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-02
Updated: 2016-08-02
Packaged: 2018-07-28 19:05:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,297
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7653208
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/superscavenger/pseuds/superscavenger
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>'The romantic forces are all there.  You always notice her. You want to see her. You treat every word from her as if it weighs more than anyone else's. You'd go to the ends of the earth for her...without ever admitting your feet were moving.'</p><p>Jillian Holtzmann is facing a little bit of a conundrum when it comes to Erin Gilbert.  She wants the solution.</p><p>But she's half terrified to find out.</p>
            </blockquote>





	It's All There

**Author's Note:**

> Loosely inspired from a tumblr quote. Enjoy reading, fellas.

_The Romantic Forces Are All There_.  

The lab is quiet for the first time in a week.  It's not like it's silent; Tears for Fears plays in low tones in the background, there's the soft flick of Erin's book page turning above her head as she rests on the back of the sofa, reading at an upward angle.  Holtzmann's head is resting in Erin's lap, as she tinkers with the smallest gun the latter has seen since they started.

'Ghoststunner', Jillian's calling it.  Erin thinks it's a rather unusual name in Holtz's usual array of weird and wonderful labels for all the brilliant things she's invented over the last 8 months, or should she say years.

   
There are times Erin forgets how much of a brilliant mind Holtzmann has always had, certainly before she met Erin and even before she graduated from MIT at the bright young age of 19.  Abby's talked to Erin in passing about how many amazing things she'd already concocted in her little private dorm at MIT, because she'd been too young to share with any of her other older peers.  She can't say she doesn't understand Holtzmann's designs - she does, in basic terms - she has a working knowledge of engineering, but she knows that in this field, she doesn't have as much of a fantastical mind.  Erin's always imagined Holtz's mind as a Kaleidoscope of genius synapses, physics beyond anybody's imagination that she's ever met.  Even her fellow professors at Columbia probably would discard her genius as oddity; 9 months ago, she would admittedly have thought the same.  But 9 months has grown an understanding and appreciation of this woman she never thought possible.   
Holtzmann, on the other hand, hasn't really worked out what she really thinks about Erin yet.  She loves having her around, their relationship has grown close and comfortable.  They're easy friends, something that none of the Ghostbusters really predicted; but goddamn it, it fits. It just feels right to everybody.  

That's why when your head on Erin's lap is so normal to everybody, or when you cling to each other after a bust in elation for completing the job, or Erin's piqued interest in Holtzmann's latest gadgets.   
It bloody well fits.   
Holtz just feels like that maybe, it could fit a different way.  She's kind of terrified to find out.  
 

 _You Always Notice Her._  
 

She's like that patch of bright sunlight that shines into a hole of a thatched barn roof.  She's like the little shred of hope you have at the end of the day that you will catch the ghost at the bust.  That you will wire the trap just right and it'll finally work without glitching.  

You love catching her eye while you're both working.  Patty'll be upstairs reading up on the latest ghost location, Abby marking out any lay-lines that it might be sat on top of, while Erin tries to classify the ghost considering what they've seen so far. You'll be tinkering with her pack to make it a little lighter; she's not exactly as strong as the rest of you; granted, she can still lift 50kg on a lat pulldown (you totally weren't checking her out while you happened to be at the gym at the same time - oh yeah.  There's a private gym downstairs) but it's still causing her a little bit of a problem that she will never, ever ever admit.  She probably won't notice your little change, but she'll thank God for it when she's thundering down a corridor in the Contemporary Art Museum trying to get away from a long-dead disgruntled patron of the bar that used to stand there. 

You love it when she unceremoniously drops a can of Pringles in front of you, just the original kind, and you always see her lingering smile as she walks away while you open the can and shove four chips in at the same time.  You noticed once, a few weeks ago, when you were still working and she'd fallen asleep on the couch, that she was fidgeting in her sleep.  She whimpered once, and that was all the incentive you needed to gently shake her awake from her obvious nightmare, propping her up and going to make her a cup of redbush tea.  You see the smile that she has behind the cup when she takes a sip.

You love so much about your interactions and it's like she's the most wonderful specimen...no, that's not the right word.  Erin is a person.

A goddamn wonderful person.  

And you notice it every single day.  
_  
_

_You Want To See Her._    
 

There's a week that she's sick.  
She's coughing and spluttering all over the finely tuned instruments and for once, you're not entirely sure you care about that because Erin's sick.  

You and Abby help her to the small car Abby bought a few months ago so the new hearse didn't have to get used for 'non-ghost' incidents, placing in the back as her coughing fit continues.  You believe it's a simple but brutal mix of the flu and her asthma playing up.  Abby relinquishes you of any responsibility, telling you she doesn't want you getting sick too and gets in the driver's seat, in the direction of Erin's apartment.    
Going back into the firehouse, you busy yourself with a piece of metal and your blowtorch as Patty eyes you curiously.

She does that for two days as you throw yourself into your work even harder than before, because all that is on your mind is Erin, Erin, Erin.

Is she okay? Really okay? Will she be okay without someone there? Abby isn't there enough to properly take care of her, she has to be here and Patty finally mentions it as you're turning a wrench in your elite ghost trapper.

'Girl what is wrong with you? I haven't heard any Wham in almost 48 hours and the de-equilibrium is driving me nuts. What's on your mind?'

'De-equilibrium is not a word,' you reply, not looking up from your work.

'It's Erin, isn't it?'

You still don't lift your head, but your eyes meet hers slowly.

'Look I know you're worried, it's just a case of the flu and living in smoggy New York City. If you want I can make something up when Abby gets back from consulting with the Parkinson family, but if you get sick that's not on me.'

You simply drop the wrench and walk out, grabbing your leather jacket and almost thundering through the door, throwing a 'you're a gem, Pats' over your shoulder.

You haven't taken a subway ride since before the second ghosts incident in the train tunnel all those months ago, but you sink into it easily. You slouch on the seat and a snooty old woman tuts at you, and you make eye contact as you slide further down the chair.

You walk out of the car, pushing your glasses down and raising an eyebrow as you walk past her.

Making a quick stop at the convenience store, you find Erin's apartment building on the rather upmarket street, pressing the intercom and being let up instantly. You note you should really tell her to ask who's at the door.

When she opens the door, she still looks rather worse for wear but she's walking and not coughing every second. Good sign, you suppose.

'You really don't need to be moving around so much,' you try, getting her to sit down and unwrapping the chicken broth and throwing the moose tracks ice cream in the freezer.

She may be sick, and she may grumble as you try to get her to eat the broth with a little bread and butter, but you're so happy to see her.

And when she relaxes into your side as you watch an old episode of Parks and Rec, you watching her tiredly but happily spooning moose tracks ice cream into her mouth before falling asleep against you, you know there is nowhere else you'd rather be.

  
_You Treat Every Word From Her As If They Weigh More Than Anyone Else's._

 

'Holtz, come on.'

'No.'

'Come on, please? I haven't been out with you in forever! Plus dancing?'

'I gotta get this done, Abby Lennox, it's almost there.'

You only call Abby that because her favourite song is Sweet Dreams by Eurythmics, and you _know_ it pisses her off, but you are so close to cracking this.

She sighs and walks to the other two, and you just about overhear their hushed conversation.

'She's not coming guys, let's just go.'

'N'aw come on, dude, that's the third time in a month she's bailed,' Patty says, beginning to walk out of the firehouse.

'I'll catch you guys up, just gimme a second.'

Abby follows Patty out, the two of them look dejected at the fact they're down a Ghostbuster, while Erin saunters up to your work desk.

'Holtzy, Holtzy Holtzy Holtzy,' Erin begins.

'If I do not get this finished I will go crazy and get cranky and we all hate cranky Holtzy.'

They both wince at the memory of the small explosion the last time Holtz got angry and accidentally short-circuited a fuse.

'I know, but today will be different. That'll still be there in the morning.'

'Looking sorely unfinished compared to how it could look if I stay and work now.'

'I will buy you four drinks, put DeBarge on the jukebox and dance with you in front of the entire bar.'

'Okay, that had more meaning than any proposal I could ever receive, you know this. You're good, Gilbert. Well, I say good. Getting better.'

You pack a couple of tools away before you feel a hand on your butt. Turning around with a raised eyebrow, you spot an entirely embarrassed Erin trying to deposit something in your back jean pocket.

'For the notes you'll need to get down when you're two beers in and ideas are flowing.'

You reach down and see a pen and small notebook protruding from your pocket.

'Genius Erin, thinking of everything,' you mutter happily under your breath before grabbing your trench coat off the chair and joining Erin and the others downstairs.

You dance to Rhythm of the Night with her and she's so embarrassed but she loves it and, for a moment, as she looks at you, you think you may see something other than just happiness glinting in her eyes.

 

_You'd Go To The Ends Of The Earth For Her..._

 

This bust is _hard_. Like, presentation for your Doctorate at MIT _hard_.

Your proton blaster keeps glitching and the stunner you were building isn't giving the ghost any jip whatsoever.

It also doesn't help that you're all fifty stories up the Chrysler Building trying to rein this thing in.

The ghost keeps juddering in its own shadow, continually appearing and reappearing all over the floor. Walter Chrysler himself wanted to play hide and seek ghost style, but you just are not having it today. You wanna get him and go home and snuggle up to one of your friends (no-one in particular. Not at all.) and watch a couple of Big Bang Theory re-runs while taking the piss out of their science. Apparently Mr Chrysler thinks it's just too much to ask.

Erin and Abby stalk to opposite sides of the floor in front of the full length windows, trying to block him with their proton guns while you prepare the trap not far from the centre of the office space.

'This guy is a goddamn moron ghost, I have had it up to here with you and your cars dickweed!' Patty exclaims, firing up the proton wrangler once again to try and capture him.

He darts away and speeds off from that direction and it's going straight for a different Ghostbuster.

Erin.

She doesn't have time to move anywhere, and her gun is poorly aimed so she misses him completely.

You sprint harder than Usain Bolt did (probably not) at the Olympics, harder than a cheetah does for his prey (definitely not) but still your whole world stops.

In a split second, literally everything goes down. Patty and Abby run to the same space with their guns to try and deter him, but it's no use. Erin can't get out of the way fast enough, but you can get her out of the way yourself. You roughly push her out of harm's way onto the floor beside you, and as you look up the ghost is right upon you and you are thrown backwards. It's not as forceful as it could be as Abby finally gets a grip on him, but it's enough to break the glass window and then you feel yourself tipping backwards and you hear Erin scream your name.

You let your eyes close.

 _Thud_.

You land roughly on the platform of the window cleaner three floors down, who's scared out of his skin and almost screeches like a small child. Your eyes slam open and you struggle to get air in your lungs, having been heavily winded. You're pretty sure you've dislocated your shoulder because it's vibrating with pain, and you're on a mat like they used to get out in gym class. You're kind of glad for it now, as it saved your life.

The window cleaner momentarily gets over the shock of the situation, and you muster your toothiest smile in tut awkward and painful position. As the platform goes up, you see your fellow Ghostbusters' heads from outside the window, looking thoroughly relieved, Erin's face obviously tear tracked and Abby's shoulders trying to pace her breathing.

As the platform comes to a stop outside the floor, the jolt moves you and fucking _hurts_. You have to stand anyway, and you'd aren't look down at the gap as you step back into the building for fear you might be sick, but _Christ_ \- you haven't felt pain like this since you broke your hand punching a bully in Junior year. Except it's like, a hundred times worse.

Erin can obviously see your injury and as you look up at her, and see her fighting more tears, you can't help but hold out your good arm to her so she can wrap her arms around your good side and settle herself into your neck. You revel at the contact with this woman, the woman whose life you'd saved, the woman who you'd fallen out of a building for.

'You're an idiot.'

'I wasn't gonna let you go now was I, Tenure?'

You feel Erin's nose scrunch up at the nickname, but you know she doesn't mind it. It started as light teasing and it stuck a little, occasionally being used in more light hearted conversation than this.

She brings her head away from your neck and looks you straight in the eyes. It disconcerting you, but you're mesmerised and you just can't bring yourself to look away.

'You would have died, if he, if he hadn't...'

'But he was there, and I didn't.' You squeeze her bicep, seeing how she's still a little in shock.

'You saved my life.'

'It was nothing, really.'

 

_...Without Ever Admitting Your Feet Were Moving._

 

Erin just shakes her head and kisses you on the cheek, leaving a whispered thanks on blushing skin as Abby sits you down on an office chair.

You feel a sharp pain in your shoulder for a moment as someone moves it, then agony.

Somebody just popped your shoulder back in.

'Mother- _FUCKER_!'

 

~~~~~~~~~~ (GB) ~~~~~~~~~~

 

Two weeks later, you're still in the sling and on desk duty, no heavy lifting or blow torching to be done either and it bugs you a little; you can deal with it though.

Truly, you can.

But pouring a glass Hershey's Chocolate Milk is apparently too difficult today and you just can't cope with your inability to do _shite_.

You're not one for crying, but you can feel the tears welling in your throat, and that uncomfortable feeling you get when you try to fight them away is burning thriving your nose and mouth and you hate everything.

Suddenly you feel a hand on your lower back, the body sidling next to yours and they're getting rather close to you, and when you see who it is your world falls away because she just makes everything better.

'I got it, Holtz,' she says quietly and easily, reaching delicately for the carton and pouring a glass swiftly. You look up at her uneasily, showing how uncomfortable it makes you to be so incapable of simple tasks because you're down to one hand. Sure, you're getting used to it, but as an engineer who literally uses every part of her hand all the time it's incredibly frustrating when even the simplest jobs elude you.

'Thanks. I'm not entirely sure what would be happening if I didn't have any of you guys.'

'Well your shoulder wouldn't have been popped back in so quick, that's for sure,' Erin replies ruefully, recalling the expletive Holtzmann let out in the pain of it all.

'Yeah i guess. That's awesome that Patty went to medical school, though.'

'Right? I mean it sucks she had to give it up, but seriously, so awesome. We should ask her what happened some day.'

Erin takes the glass and puts it on the table next to the couch in the lab, sitting down and tucking her knees under her body sideways to face you as you take the spot beside her.

'Holtz can I...can I ask you a question?'

'Fire away, Gilbert,' you reply, shooting her a lopsided smirk which elicits a giggle. Your stomach goes all warm inside.

'That day...when you saved me...what were you thinking when you ran to me?'

You take a breath in and prepare yourself for this.

It's ~~~~now or never.

'If I'm lying? Nothing. I wasn't really thinking, just doing.'

You side eye Erin to see that she's still expecting more.

'Truthfully?'

Erin shifts a little so her bent knees are covering your thighs just a touch.

'Just...you.'

Erin's eyes shine as you look into them. You're spellbound yet again.

'I can't...stop...thinking about you, Erin. I don't know what's happening to me.'

'Me either.'

Your eyes widen a little as you realise what she's implying.

'I haven't stopped thinking about you for weeks, Jillian I just...you're always on mind. And when you literally pushed me out of the way of certain death I couldn't help but think maybe the flirting wasn't just throwaway pick-up lines and winks and maybe that it was...something else entirely. Am I...am I wrong or...?'

You're not sure you can believe what you're hearing, but when Erin looks at you like that you're pretty sure your heart's gonna stop.

'Erin?'

'Yeah?'

'I can't lean over very well right now so if you'd like to help me kiss you I'd be much obliged.'

She giggles thickly, placing a tentative hand on your jaw and bringing your lips to hers softly.

It's like kissing a goddamn Angel, and her lips are heavenly and soft. She pulls them away for a moment and keeps her eyes closed, drinking it all in, and you lean just as much as you can to capture them again.

As the kiss deepens, Erin fluidly straddles your lap and threads one hand through your loose up do and the other's fingertips trickle over your collarbone, your hand stroking up and down her arm slowly. It's as perfect as you imagined and more.

As she pulls away a little to look down at you and you both laugh softly, basking in each other's closeness, you effortlessly realise it.

The romantic forces were all there.

You love this woman.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Come yell at me about my writing and other fandom stuff at my tumblr - superscavenger.


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